Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2022 Infiniti QX50

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Infiniti QX50 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Encore and the QX50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Infiniti QX50:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Infiniti QX50:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Encore the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2016, a rating granted to only 207 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX50 has not been fully tested, yet.

There are almost 10 times as many Buick dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Encore’s reliability 34 points higher than the QX50.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick above average in initial quality. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 81 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in overall reliability. Infiniti is ranked 11th.

On the EPA test cycle the Encore gets better mileage than the QX50:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Encore uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX50 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Encore has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The QX50 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Encore higher (7 out of 10) than the Infiniti QX50 (6). This means the Encore produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the QX50 every 15,000 miles.

The Encore stops much shorter than the QX50:

The Encore has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the QX50; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Encore has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The QX50’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Buick Encore may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 800 pounds less than the Infiniti QX50.

The Encore is 1 foot, 4.3 inches shorter than the QX50, making the Encore easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Infiniti. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 10% lower rating, Infiniti is ranked 9th.

The power windows standard on both the Encore and the QX50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Encore is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Infiniti only offers heated mirrors on the QX50 Luxe/Essential/Sensory/Autograph.

The Encore offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The QX50 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Encore owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Encore will cost $1765 to $5875 less than the QX50 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Encore is less expensive to operate than the QX50 because typical repairs cost much less on the Encore than the QX50, including $404 less for a water pump, $84 less for a muffler, $304 less for a starter, $210 less for fuel injection, $70 less for a fuel pump, $101 less for front struts, $78 less for a timing belt/chain and $856 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick Encore will be $13069 to $29997 less than for the Infiniti QX50.

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

The Buick Encore outsold the Infiniti QX50 by over four to one during the 2021 model year.